FanHouse LesMiles

Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (Atlanta, Georgia), which pits Georgia Tech against LSU.

Overview/Matchup: Georgia Tech had a heck of a season under Paul Johnson in 2008 and they get rewarded with an upper tier ACC bowl. They get really rewarded because they don't even have to leave campus to play in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Les Miles and LSU do, however, and there should be some pretty stout pressure on the Tigers to pull of a postseason dubya here, what with fans questioning Miles' ability to generate enough offense in the bayou.

Hotels: For luxury accommodation close to the stadium The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta is your best bet. The Westin Peachtree has a higher rating, but its sleek design borders on frigid and leaves many guests feeling more like they've entered a bank than a hotel. In the mid-range category the Embassy Suites Centennial Olympic Park is a few hundred yards from the Georgia Dome and offers excellent service for the price. The open atrium and waterfall don't hurt either. For the budget-conscious traveler the Holiday Inn Atlanta Downtown is the best hotel in the area that offers rooms for less than US$100 per night.

Restaurants: After your team wins the big game, or maybe before if you're feeling confident, head to Bone's for a thick, perfectly grilled steak. The prices are steep but the food is worth it. If you're staying in downtown Atlanta, and you need a reasonably priced meal that will fill you up, look no further than Gladys Knight and Ron Winan's Chicken and Waffles.

Coaching searches are crazy and a lot of crazy stuff gets said during them, but come the heck on here:

Another rumor making the rounds is that the Huskies might be interested in LSU coach Les Miles, who interviewed at UW in 2004 when Willingham was hired.

That's right, kids: the Seattle Times is speculating that a guy coming off a national championship at a powerhouse SEC program and getting paid one dollar more than Nick Saban who turned down his alma mater last year will leave for Washington. Which is 0-12. And has no particular connection to Les Miles whatsoever. And is still 0-12.

So I ask you, commenters of FanHouse: has anything dumber ever been suggested? Did a newspaper ever claim that the corpse of Bear Bryant would be reanimated and take over at Auburn? Because that's all I got as far as more outlandish scenarios.

Give the Washington Huskies this: they're at least determined. (Or, "delusional", as some of us NC State fans have learned the word actually means when it pertains to a coaching search.) First they've been rebuffed by Jim Mora and then reportedly by Will Muschamp, both gentlemen who did not actually take another real job.

And now, the seemingly incredulous rumor that Les Miles might be interested in this job has somehow surfaced.

A year after heavy speculation surrounding Les Miles and a possible departure to Michigan eventually resulted in Louisiana State University negotiating a new deal for its head coach, Miles is back in the rumor mill again. The Seattle Times is reporting that Miles may be a candidate at the University of Washington.

The Times more or less simply mentions the possibility, but still, let's be rational here, people. Miles turned down a chance to coach at Michigan -- his alma mater -- and to make more money than the Big Guy upstairs; he did this knowing that if he stayed in LSU, he would still always be under the Saban-scope and that he have to play in the SEC every year instead of the cupcake Big 10.

So why on Earth would the guy bounce for Washington -- even if some LSU fans are getting a bit testy with him -- the year after he won a championship? Exactly. Let's settle down on this one before it gets started then.

Attention, SEC: Please make your way to the center stage, conveniently marked by a large Buckeye-shaped chalk outline.

After three weeks of the NCAA season, the top of the SEC is more jammed than Ed Hochuli's voicemail. Five teams are ranked in the top 10 – No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Florida, No. 6 LSU, No. 9 Alabama and No. 10 Auburn – and four (all but Alabama, who plays Arkansas) are on national television this weekend.

We don't expect an embarrassment like last weekend's Buckeye blowup. Then again, it's probably impossible to get embarrassed like Ohio State did for the third time last weekend. Just to recap, Ronaldo admitted he picked up three transvestites but didn't want to admit he was laying money on Ohio State. Scientology thinks people will find it weird if they find out they picked the Buckeyes. Chris Cooley photoshopped little Chris Cooley over a Buckeyes logo in his infamous lap shot because he thought it would be less embarrassing.

(He was right.)

And we wouldn't even bet that the league's elite are headed for more than one (required) loss. If we had to play a parlay where losing the bet meant getting the stall next to Larry Craig's at Minneapolis-St. Paul International, we'd probably take the 'Dawgs, Gators, Tide and, uh, Tigers.

But Saturday's SEC "opening day" could be something less of a another great chapter in sports television and something more like Air Bud. Two. (Air Bud: Golden Receiver)

Here's why it could go wake-up-after-a-bender-married-to-Pam-Anderson wrong.

... as the knives are sharpened in Bristol ...

In an interview with the Detroit News about ESPN's botched "Les Miles to Michigan" call:

[Herbstreit's report] was wrong on so many levels. As a former player, unless I spoke to that coach and he told me it was cool, I would never have done that because he was still coaching a team that's about to play in a (SEC) championship game. ... His team, the first thing they saw when they woke up was that report. It was not fair to him and not fair to the players.

He's got a point given that he's on Michigan's search committee and literally spends every Saturday with Herbstreit. All it would have taken was a simple call to a well-placed colleague to add another layer of proof.

Are Howard's days at ESPN numbered after this? Who knows, but Maize N Brew nicely outlines the college football zeitgeist at Bristol ca. 2008.

I'll be curious to see if there's any fallout from this one. Herbstreit really is the face of Game Day at this point and is clearly being groomed to take over as ABC's lead commentator for college football, if he isn't already. He's the golden boy and Howard just took him to task.

The World Wide Leader in Sports is known to have an itchy trigger finger when it comes to dissent. Desmond is a good, but by no means irreplaceable commentator. It will be interesting to see if Desmond's comments do more than just kick a dead horse.

Score one for the internets.

LSU is out one starting quarterback, from the looks of it:

LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux was suspended indefinitely for an unspecified violation of team rules, leaving his status unclear for the start of spring practice Feb. 29.

Coach Les Miles did not elaborate on the violation in his statement Monday or how the suspension would affect Perrilloux's future with the national champions.

The rumor has it that the "violation of team rules" in this instance is Not Being On The Team Anymore, which includes not going to meetings or class and, if you believe the truly tinfoil-hat version of events, shaking down LSU for money before returning.

Which is completely insane and would be unbelievable if we were talking about anyone other than Ryan Perrilloux, who had a now-you-see-me-now-you-don't commitment to Texas, somehow got involved in a countefeiting investigation, and has already been suspended twice by LSU. Ryan Perrilloux could announce he is the reincarnated David Bowie, and not even David Bowie would be that shocked.

Even so, both sides have to come to their senses here, don't they? Perrilloux has two years to start at an elite program, which can be a ticket to NFL riches. LSU has a guy who used to play for Harvard and a freshman backing Perrilloux up. Both parties have a huge incentive to work things out. If they don't, LSU's title defense is over before it starts. Sorry, No Photos

So, there's this, a love song from LSU fans who were nearly jilted by their one and only, Les Miles. Nothing like unrequited love that actually is requited. Oh well, with Rich Rodriguez officially Michigan's new coach and Miles officially not, this is all we have left of that little fiasco. While not technically NSFW, I suppose you might want to make sure nobody around you takes the guy humping the tiger statue out of context. For reals.



My favorite verse:

Fear the hat, but I ain't scared, you're my pussy cat
You so damn phat, with a PH, don't forget that
You've got a hot temper, but you're easy to tame
I can see your soft side, when you're screaming my name
All that is through, it was your time to choose
And I will never forget, back then when we first met
You were 11 and 2, I smiled back at you
It was the start of the end, feels like I lost my best friend

Although "Now it's true, you're gone, and it won't be long /til I'm seeing your digits on my cell phone /turn my silent on" is up there, too. And "Don't forget your white hat /And you'll remember that /Hey Boo, I will miss you;" actually , the whole thing is pretty good. Mind you, if I thought for a second these guys were taking themselves seriously, I'd never take the time to post this. And if they are serious, Miles might want to look into a restraining order.

(HT: Third Saturday in Blogtober)

Clown of Infinite Sadness time.

Earlier today we mentioned that one Les Miles, esquire, head coach of LSU, had been on the phone with Mary Sue Coleman and Bill Martin, the president and athletic director of Michigan, respectively. What was this conversation about?

Miles, via the LSU official website:

"I had a conversation with Michigan last week that covered a wide range of topics. I was doing nothing more than helping them with their search for a football coach, just as any loyal alumnus might do. It was nothing more than that.

"I'm not a candidate for that job and I will not be a candidate for the job. I was only assisting them in their search for a coach. I have a great job at a wonderful place, a place that my family calls home. It's time that Michigan goes on with their search for a football coach. I'll say it again, I'm going to be the coach at LSU next season."

This is, of course, Colombian-grade BS, but another nail in the "Miles to Michigan" coffin -- which, at this point, is made entirely of nails.

There is no way Michigan called up Miles and said "hey, we're looking for a successful head coach with Michigan ties ... do you know anyone that fits that description?" And there's no way Miles responded "I can't really think of one, sorry." Because, hey, Brady Hoke's out there, man.

Brady Hoke.

I highly doubt that it has anything to do with the school's recent rekindling of it's love affair with Les Miles, but the University of Michigan can add another name to it's growing list of coaches who don't want to coach there: Cam Cameron.

Even though Cameron is currently 0-12 as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, and is hearing rumors his tenure in Miami may only last for one season, Cam just isn't interested.

"I've always been a guy that plants both feet where he is," Cameron said.

"I don't know how to do it any other way. You put your feet right where you are. You zero in on doing everything you can to help the Miami Dolphins. I think I addressed that once before, so to me it's a non-issue." Cameron last month said, "This is the place where I am, and I'm committed to getting this place turned around. Period."

Cameron got his coaching career started under Bo Schembechler and spent 10 years coaching for the Wolverines. He was quarterbacks coach under Gary Moeller in 1993 before leaving for the Washington Redskins and the NFL.

Cameron also has head coaching experience in the Big Ten, as he was head coach of his alma mater Indiana for five seasons. While in Bloomington Cameron compiled a record of 18-37. Add that to his current record of 0-12, and Cameron is 18-49 in his coaching career.

Somehow I just don't think that would sit well with Michigan alumni. So I don't think Dolphins fans need worry about having another Nick Saban situation on their hands.

I have to tell you, I'm offended. It seems as though the University of Michigan is interested in everybody (Brady Hoke? Really?) as Lloyd Carr's replacement, and I want to know why nobody's called me. You should see me on my Playstation. I've won back to back national titles with Baylor, people. Baylor.

Still, apparently that's not good enough for the head honchos up in Ann Arbor, because my phone sits here silent. Instead they're trying to figure out a way to get Missouri's Gary Pinkel.

MU coach Gary Pinkel now could be coveted by many other schools seeking coaches, including Michigan, the winningest program in college football history.

So now we can add Pinkel's name to the list of candidates that once included Les Miles, and has had Greg Schiano's name floating around lately as well. Though just because Michigan's interested in Pinkel, it doesn't mean Pinkel is interested in Michigan, yet anyway. When asked about the job, Gary made that much clear.

"I'm not commenting on fiction," Pinkel told the Post-Dispatch, adding, "Nobody's contacted me."

Notice he never said that if Michigan did contact him, that he wouldn't listen. He'd be stupid not to, and Michigan would be stupid not to call Pinkel.

Over the last few years Pinkel has built a top program at Missouri, and has the team going to it's first New Year's Day bowl since 1970. Still, Pinkel is a loyal guy, so who knows if he'd really leave Missouri. Of course, loyalty is nice, but if Michigan drives a truck load of money up to his front door, Gary could survive without it.